A Midsummer Night's Scream

connection with Sylvia Sidney to impress her.“
    “I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m so glad to have met you girls.“
    When they were in Jane’s car, Shelley said, “I haven’t been referred to as a ‘girl’ in ages. What a sweet woman Ms. Bunting is.“
    When Jane called Martha the next morning at eight-thirty, she was glad the proprietor was already at work. Jane’s mention of the extra student went over well. Martha had even heard of Gloria Bunting. She’d seen her in Connecticut in the out-of-town first performance of a play that was going to New York a month later. “She played a sort of Mrs. Danvers—like role. She was wonderfully wicked.“
    When Jane told Martha that Ms. Bunting had been a friend of Sylvia Sidney, the woman nearly swooned. “I’d be delighted to add her. Bring her along as soon as you like. She won’t even have to pay for the lessons, only the materials. I’m so thrilled about this. I can’t wait to meet her in person.“
    Jane called Shelley first. “We’re all set. I’ll call Ms. Bunting and tell her to be ready to be picked up at a quarter to ten. I’ll drive. We also need to figure out where to get her one of these jewelry things for her floss.“
    “I’m glad you’re driving. I need to call the caterers for tonight and tell them there will be four more people. Two doing scenery, another doing props, and one responsible for costumes.“
    Ms. Bunting was thrilled to hear from Jane. “John’s gone off with cronies from the old days to play golf. They’ll probably all collapse from heatstroke. I’ll be in front of the hotel waiting for you just roll down a window and wave at me. I’m so glad you made these arrangements! I’d have been bored senseless and worrying about John’s health if you hadn’t.“
    Shelley made her call to the caterer. She also called several department stores that had good jewelry departments to see if any of them had one of those roll-up jewelry things with the clear pockets. She found one place that did.
    “It’s in that mall across from where we stayed for the mystery conference. We could take Ms. Bunting to lunch at that fabulous restaurant we discovered there, after we get her all set up.“
    “You like her, don’t you? So do I,“ Jane said.
    Martha at the needlepoint shop was gracious to Ms. Bunting, but had calmed down and didn’t gush too effusively—except for wanting to know which play she had been in with Sylvia Sidney.
    Ms. Bunting said it was Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams in 1973. Sylvia was one of the leads. Ms. Bunting was offered only a small part, but she took it in order to get to know Sylvia. “She was almost as old then as I am now. But she had more energy than I do. You know, she was once married to the publisher Bennett Cerf, and again to an actor named Luther Adler. She only died in 1999. She was eighty-nine years old. A very durable woman.“
    “Indeed she was. And I’ve heard of both of her husbands,“ Martha said. “Well, I shouldn’t take more of your time with this just now. I want to get you set up for class tomorrow.“
    Ms. Bunting chose a combination of mauves, slate blues, and several clear greens. Martha told her what the assignment was, adding, “But you, of course, Ms. Bunting, may do anything you wish.“

Five

    Jane dropped Shelley and Ms. Bunting at one of the entrances to the mall, then parked, as she always did, as far away as she could so that nobody was near enough to her car to ding it. In her eagerness to rejoin her friends, Jane trotted back to the entrance, arriving breathless and a bit sweaty.
    “We’ve found something you’ll like,“ Shelley told Ms. Bunting. “Would you like to come up the escalator with us to fetch it, or would you rather take a table and save it for us in our favorite restaurant? The restaurant is much closer. And you could order our drinks while we’re gone.“
    “The second option sounds best to me. I’m absolutely parched,“ the older woman admitted. “I wasn’t expecting all this heat.“
    They made sure they settled her by a window, and headed upstairs to buy the jewelry container for her flosses. Shelley slapped down a credit card and they rushed back down to the ground floor as soon as the clerk produced the receipt.
    Ms. Bunting was already settled in, with a bottle of white wine for herself and Shelley, and the rose-flavored iced tea that Jane had requested.
    Shelley reached into the department store bag and brought out the jewelry